A Few Things I've Found and Love

Sometimes you run into a few things you really like and want to tell someone about, such is the case with these items.

First up, is this coffee my son actually found and brought back from his trip to Borneo.



It's lightly sweetened and makes the BEST ICE COFFEE EVER! I can't say I love it hot, but iced, it rocks! It comes in little bags, much like a tea bag. Simply toss a bag in a large mason jar and add cool water and let it steep in the fridge a few hours. When you want a quick coffee fix, pour it over ice. It's perfectly sweetened but add a little milk or cream if you like your coffee that way.

I just ALWAYS pack my lunch for work. On a whim, I picked up these reusable wraps:



I love that they're reusable, clean up easily with a soapy, wet cloth, and stay sealed in my lunch bag. Since they are made with bees wax, you simply close them and they seal from the warmth of your hands. Best of all, no more wasteful plastic wrap!

Have you tried Gin-Gins yet?



A couple years ago, a lady at work gave me one of these and since then I've ordered them faithfully. They're chewy and have a strong ginger taste as they're made with fresh ginger and because of that, they're good to ease an upset stomach. I've even tossed one into hot water and made a wonderful ginger tea! These candies would work great for Halloween trick-or-treaters and you won't mind being stuck with a bunch of leftover candy!

And finally there's this water filtration system:



I bought this for my son for his trip to Borneo. He ended up not needing to use it but we tried it out at home and it works great! It takes up very little room so packs easily in a backpack. It's so simple to use and there's no waiting to drink the water. You fill up the bladder, attach the filter and can drink right from it! This will be going in our Earthquake Preparedness Kit for sure (once I get it started.)

New: Oatmeal Ginger Goats' Milk Soap

Lora's Beauty is happy to announce another new fresh-from-the-goat goats' milk soap, Oatmeal Ginger!

This soap is made with finely ground oatmeal and fresh ginger. It's been widely known that nothing beats oatmeal for soothing skin and reducing inflammation caused from eczema and other skin rashes. It calms irritation by gently correcting the ph of inflamed and irritated skin.

Ginger's benefits for skin are not as well known, however, it contains over 40 antioxidant properties, meaning, 'hello glowing, radiant skin!'

This soap is scented with ginger and cassia essential oils giving it a beautiful spicy scent that lingers on the skin well after use.

The beautiful coral color occurs naturally from the cassia essential oil.  A little turmeric is added to provide the darker color in the bar. Turmeric is another natural choice to help soothe irritated skin.

The all natural ingredients in this bar will be a wonderful addition to any skincare routine. Fresh goats' milk, oatmeal, ginger and turmeric combined in one bar of soap will bring joy to your shower and your skin!

By the way, the Pine Tar Goats' Milk Soap is also available now in the online store.

I have a feeling this is going to be a popular bar, especially for the men out there. This bar screams rugged and outdoorsy (yet still being  gentle).

Also, did I mention pine tar is also great at neutralizing body odor?

Order now, from the online store!

    

Oktoberfest in Leavenworth Washington

Last weekend we made a rather spur of the moment trip to Leavenworth Washington for

Oktoberfest.

Let me back up a little. This past summer we tried on numerous occasions to make it to our favorite summer festivals, we even tried to make it to a new one, however, EVERY TIME we lit out we'd arrive only to find the festival was the coming weekend or the last weekend. Even Google was in on it, telling us the Hawthorne Street Fair was going on when it wasn't. By September, we had given up, besides the whole Northwest part of the US was engulfed in fire and smoke so we just hunkered down and called it a summer.

Needless to say, when October came and the fires burned out, we were ready for a road trip so we checked and double checked and triple checked before we booked our reservations to Leavenworth for Oktoberfest! And lo and behold, we made it.

We purposefully drove the long way there, through the Columbia Gorge so we could see the aftermath of the Eagle Crest Fire that burned for most of September.

Yes, there were tell tale signs of it from the freeway, probably more so if you were hiking, but the Gorge is still beautiful.

As is the Yakima Valley, where the windmills are placed so close to the road you could almost reach out a touch them as you drive by.

Ah, but the town of Leavenworth was breathtaking and ready to celebrate! A parade though the main street began the party.

And what's a parade without horses! Seriously, they're my favorite part of parades.

The weather was beautiful so we drove a little outside of town for a quick hike before the eating and drinking commenced.

Nothing beats hiking in Autumn.

Except perhaps hiking in Autumn next to a beautiful river...

loaded with fish!

Back in town the party was getting started.

The music was jumping, the beer was flowing, and the food was delicious!

We may make Oktoberfest in Leavenworth an annual tradition (after checking and double checking what weekend it's on of course!)